Programme structure: Social Justice and Community Action

Our lives are shaped by our family and community relationships, access to good-quality public services, and our governing institutions and levels of economic inequality. It is unjust that these chances are unequally distributed across the globe and within certain countries.  

The goal of this unique interdisciplinary programme is to challenge and support you to connect ideas of liberty, equality, citizenship and democracy to real-world practice in diverse contexts. These include:  

• grassroots activism  
• education  
• public policy development 
• organisational management 

The programme draws on perspectives from critical education, politics, social policy and sociology.  

This online degree allows for flexible, high-quality, critical and collaborative learning in a supportive digital community. You will be studying courses designed in an institute renowned for its expertise in digital education. 

Programme structure

This is a part-time, fully online masters programme.  

You can study towards a Postgraduate Certificate over 1-2 years, a Postgraduate Diploma over 2-4 years, or complete the full masters (MSc) programme over 2-6 years.  

We recommend that you study for a Postgraduate Certificate over 12 months, a Postgraduate Diploma over 24 months, or the full masters (MSc) programme over 36 months. However, the programme’s flexibility means you can study at a pace that suits you best. 

Courses

Postgraduate Certificate

Students must complete 60 credits to be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate. Of these, students must obtain 40 credits by completing the courses below. 

• Theories and Politics of Social Justice (Semester 1)
• Community Engagement: Co-Constructing Knowledge with Communities (Semester 2)

Students may obtain the remaining 20 credits by completing optional courses.  Option courses change every year but have previously included the following: 

• Organisational Management for Social Justice (Semester 1)
• Learning for Democracy (Semester 2)
• Policy Analysis for Social Justice (Semester 2)
• Working with Children and Young People for Social Justice (Semester 2)

Postgraduate Diploma

To exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits), students must complete the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) as well as three option courses worth 60 credits. Option courses change every year but have previously included the following: 

Semester 1

• Activist Social Research** 
• Displacement and Development*
• Global Development Challenges*
• Politics and Theories of International Development*
• Roots of African Poverty and Development*
• Public Health and Health Policy*

Semester 2

• Analysing Development*
• Climate Change Mitigation 
• Digital Education in a Global Context*
• Health Inequities and the Social Determinants of Health*
• Key Skills in Development Practice*

Flexible

• Global Health Governance*
• Any relevant Level 11 university online distance education course, subject to the approval of the Programme Director and relevant Course Organiser *

* denotes courses offered in other Schools. If you study part-time intermittently, optional courses offered in other Schools may have different fees. 

**Students wishing to progress to the dissertation must select Activist Social Research as one of the three courses. 

Course Descriptions (2024-25)

Masters (MSc)

Students must complete a dissertation or an applied research project to be awarded the MSc (180 credits). To progress to the dissertation stage of the masters programme, students must pass all taught courses for the Certificate and Diploma in line with the University’s postgraduate teaching regulations. 

• Dissertation
• Applied Research Project

Dissertation and the Applied Research Project

Depending on your interests and career goals, you may select either a standard masters dissertation or an applied research project. You will be supported through this process through both the Activist Social Research course and individual meetings with a designated supervisor. 

Dissertation

The dissertation is a major piece of research that demands significant time and commitment. Through the dissertation, you will identify a research topic, develop and implement a plan for gathering data and undertake systematic analysis and write-up of that data.  

Applied Research Project

As an alternative to the standard masters dissertation, the applied research project is a significant piece of work that allows you to undertake real-world research directly applicable to the aims, interests and needs of a particular activist network, community group or organisation. The project can also be approached as a substantive investigation and analysis of an important policy development and/or practice issue. 

The project will be underpinned by logical theorisations, conceptualisations and evidence and should include: 

• significant and critical discussion of the relevant context 
• rigorous and substantive analysis of the identified issue or problem 
• a creative approach to addressing the identified issue 

Time commitment

For each 20-credit course, you can expect 24 hours of lecturer contact time. Each course requires a time commitment of approximately 15-17 hours a week. This commitment is likely to increase around the time when you’re completing assignments. 

Global Justice Academy

This programme is the flagship teaching initiative of the University of Edinburgh’s Global Justice Academy. The Global Justice Academy is a multi-disciplinary network of academics and research centres committed to global justice concerns. 

Global Justice Academy